European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cool character trios on his momus sunglasses at the Pool doctors says kids eyes need As much or More Protection from the Sun As adults. New York times y our eyes Are protected by sunglasses. Should your children be wearing them too. A ophthalmologists say children s eyes need As much or More Protection from the Sun As adults. The lenses of children a eyes Are clearer and so can absorb More ultraviolet Light. Early exposure to sunlight May Lead to retinal damage As Well As the development of cataracts later in life. A for the very Young up to about age 6, shielding the eyes with a Broad brimmed hat May be sufficient. Recent research with Chesapeake Bay fishermen has shown that such hats protect the eyes As efficiently from ultraviolet Light As sunglasses said Irwin Siegel a research ophthalmologist at new York University medical Center. Quot one has to weigh the beneficial effects of us absorbing lenses is. The trauma that might occur to the Eye if a child Falls Quot he said Quot and children Are always  Quot. For older children the guidelines Are the same As for adults. A a a voluntary Labelling system developed about a. Year ago by the food and drug administration and the sunglass association of America identifies lenses As cosmetic general purpose or special purpose. Cosmetic lenses which offer the least Protection Block less than 60 percent of visible Light and at least 70 percent of the Sun s Shorter ultraviolet b rays and 20 percent of the longer ultraviolet a rays. General purpose lenses Block 60 to 92 percent of visible Light and at least 95 percent of ultraviolet b rays and at least 60 percent of ultraviolet a rays. A the most protective glasses labelled Quot special purpose Quot for use at the Pool or Beach should Block at least 97 percent of visible Light and at least 99 percent of ultraviolet b rays and 60 percent of ultraviolet a rays. General purpose glasses will meet the needs of most children. But special purpose glasses can reduce the amount of Light getting through hampering vision said Theodore , chairman of the ophthalmology department at the University of Kansas. Another important consideration Lawwill said is whether the Lens protects the eyes from the Blue portion of the ultraviolet spectrum which is associated with later retinal damage. Short of an ophthalmologist s advice stick to Brown. Or Neutral shades of lenses and avoid Blue lenses which do not filter out Blue Light. Steep Rise in skin cancer by Barbara Somerville. Cox news service three years ago Gene Mclendon de Antonio of West Palm Beach fla., was a healthy athletic body builder. He treated his body like a Temple. Then he noticed the mole on his Chest near his shoulder. It was Light Brown but growing bigger and Darker. It was no longer Flat and smooth. Quot when i saw it was Active i went to the doctor. He Cut it out tested it and said it was Melanoma. He Cut More out and it tested negative which led us to believe he got it ail the first time Quot said de Antonio a 30-year-old Hairdresser from West Palm Beach. Suddenly a month ago de Antonio was struck with abdominal pain. He had major surgery for a painful digestive disorder. Quot two Days later they dropped the bomb on me that it was cancer Quot he said. De Antonio is in St. Mary a Hospital in West Palm Beach waiting to be Well enough to Fly to the National institutes of health in Bethesda my. There he will receive experimental treatment for Melanoma the most lethal form of skin cancer Quot i will die if they Don t do something Quot he said. Quot i know i m terminal because the cancer is in my Lymphatic system. I be got to be treated soon. It s just a matter of time before it metastasized somewhere  the Young Man says he has fever that the pain is worse and he has lost 25 pounds. A Quot but if i m Lucky and can make it to Bethesda i do think i Wilt have a Good shot at  Paulette Fetzer of Delray Beach fla., is luckier. The Odds Are in her favor because her Melanoma was caught earlier and removed White it was Small and shallow and it was on her leg not her Torso. Four years ago a new Brown spot appeared on the Back of her calf Quot but i did no to think anything about it for a year Quot she said. Quot it just looked like a Birthmark or liver spot. It Wasny to dark like a mole just two shades of Brown. Quot but one Day my husband asked me what was on to your health the Back of my leg so the next time i took my son to the dermatologist i had him look at it he took it off for testing and it came Back Melanoma. So he Cut out More of it tested and there was no Trace of the cancer. A plastic surgeon grafted skin from my thigh Over where it had  Fetzer thinks her spot was caused by Sun damage she is fair skinned and has been a snorkelers and skin diver for 25 years. She is 44 and has lived in Florida All but the first three years of her life. Melanoma causes about 75 percent of All skin cancer deaths. Since 1980, the number of Melanoma cases in the United states has risen 96 percent according to the american Academy of dermatology. In 1988, 27,300 americans developed it and 5,000 died. A those most at risk seem to be fair skinned Blue eyed people who live in solar intense states or countries and who had Northern european ancestors. The risk of a caucasian with fair skin is twice As great As a caucasian with Olive skin. The Melanoma rate is increasing about 4 percent a year nationally according to Michael Newman of the National cancer Institute in new York Quot but in the last 35 years there has been almost a 200 percent jump in the number of males with  people living in Arizona Florida California and Texas seem most at risk a Arizona a Little More so than Florida because it has More sunny Days said West Palm Beach dermatologist or. Ralph keen. Of every 100,000 people living in Tucson ariz., 27 get it while Only nine of 100,000 people living in Connecticut do according to one researcher who did not include Florida in his study which was reported in the dermatology nursing journal in april. His figure for Australia was 35 to 40 in every 100,000 people. About one fourth of today a patients Are under 40, Schillinger said. Melanoma is still relatively rare said keen who diagnoses about two dozen cases a year out of the hundreds of people he sees with other types of skin cancer. Quot however this cancer is increasing in incidence at a rate second Only to lung cancer Quot keen said. Quot but Only about half the Melanomas seem to be related to skin types Quot keen said. Quot even Brown or Black skin can t protect you because the Sun is Only one of several risk  other risk factors Are a a family member has had Melanoma. Your risk is increased eight to 10 times if your Parent child or sibling has had Melanoma. About 10 percent of Melanoma patients have one or More family members who have had it a Binge sunning a working indoors and getting intense blasts of Sun during outdoor recreational activities on weekends and vacations. A childhood sunburns. People who have had three or More blistering sunburns before the age of 20 have a five times greater risk of getting Melanoma than those who have never sunburned. A wearing skin exposing clothing in sunny climes. A living near the Equator. At highest risk Are those living in Australia. But living in Arizona Florida California and Texas is risky too. Dark skinned natives Are safer than fair Blue eyed newcomers. A living in the mountains a for every .1,000 feet above sea level the ultraviolet intensity is increased by 5 percent. A getting older and living longer. Incidence increases after age 50 a Melanoma is rarely seen in children. But More people Between 20 and 50 have been getting it in the past few years. Now that people Are living longer More Are getting it after age 70. The total incidence has doubled in the past decade. A using Oral contraceptives or have taken immunosuppressive drugs. A already having had a Melanoma. The risk is 1 in 50 and related to Sun damaged skin. A having lots of moles too much health risks outlast the Short term glow Ultra Violet a rays chief cause o skin cancer. Absorbed primarily by epidermis. Uhra Violet a rays cause premature aging of skin increase canc of risk penetrate through lower dermis. Corneal layer basal layer Mela oocytes epidermis dermis subcutaneous tissue suntan the skin attempts to defend itself against the Sun s ultraviolet my Melanin granules travel Hong through Branch Liko extensions of Mela oocytes Are i when us rays hit the epidermis h Mela oocytes specialized skin cells synthesize injected into epidermal cells. Rays Melanin Rich Colls move up to form Tho outer skin layer whore they flatten and eventually Slough off. Tho Oxtra pigment they contain gives the skin its Quot Tan Quot and protects underlying skin cells by absorbing us rays. Skin cancer when the suns ultraviolet rays damage skin cells Dan a a after intense u or prolonged Sun exposure the skin coils genetic material Dan a becomes altered by the excessive irradiation cells with altered Dan begin to multiply. It cancer results As Tho Ell abnormal cells undergo uncontrolled multiplication and disorganized growth. Ii not treated cancer Colls May infiltrate and destroy adjacent tissues and May eventually spread to Distant parts of Tho body. Sources the skin cancer foundation american Academy of dermatology Nih a amps graphic up Susan Harris Page 14 Les by Janee new York sening discomfort Brody Imes Ulmer is fraught with hazards to the health of our most prize sensory Organ our j eyes. A. The threats Range from annoying allergies and sunburn to severe vision threatening injuries incurred during sports and Ether activities. While Mot t problems can be prevented or readily treated Many people fail to take Steps to Avert the dangers and fewer still know a lat to do when a problem arises. 1. Sometimes the right preventive. Measures on first Aid and follow up action can be sight saving. For other less serious problems prompt recognition and treatment can spare you considerable discomfort. Eyes that Are red itchy irritated watery and sensitive to Light Are often reacting to pollen and other allergens that waft on Surriner breezes. While most people with allergies that affect their ayes also have upper respiratory symptoms like sneezing and Stuffy or Runny nose sometimes the Eye symptoms Are the Only manifestation of an allergy. Itchiness is the typical telltale sign that allergy s the Likely cause of distress. In Early summer grass and tree pollen Are the usual culprits. In late summer ragweed is the most common cause of so called Hay fever conjunctivitis an inflammation of the tissue that covers the Whites of the eyes. If the symptoms occur All year Long consider household allergens like holds dust or animal Dander As the possible cause. A severe allergy called Vernal Kerat conjunctivitis commonly afflicts youngsters particularly boys from the Ages of 6 to 20 who have other serious familial allergies or asthma. As its name implies it most commonly occurs in Spring and summer and year round in warm climates. Eyes afflicted by Vernal Kerat conjunctivitis Are very itchy especially toward evening and extremely sensitive to Light. They usually produce a stringy Yellowish mucus discharge. But the classic symptom is the formation of Large pimples under the upper lid. If not promptly treated the condition can scar the Cornea and threaten vision. Wearers of Contact lenses Are sometimes afflicted with a similar allergic syndrome that fortunately carries no serious risk to vision. The problem seems to Stem from a buildup of allergenic or irritating proteins on the lenses. The symptoms go away if the person stops wearing Contact lenses or if a switch is made to disposable lenses which Are discarded every two weeks and Cost about $350 a year in the United states. Both mild and serious ocular allergies respond to treatment wit h Antihistamine decongestant Eye medications like Kopcon a and Albaton a lieu film. Cold compresses and artificial tears no medicated Eye drops sold Over the counter can bring temporary Relief. Daily preventive treatment with Cro Molyn sodium sold by prescription As optic rom 4 percent ophthalmic solution can usually suppress the allergic reaction by coating the cells that release histamine and other irritating body chemicals. Those with severe ocular allergy that does not respond to Cro Molyn sodium May require Brief treatment with topical corticosteroids which can themselves threaten vision if overused but topical corticosteroids should not be used if Contact lenses Are worn. The Ideal preventive is to avoid or reduce exposure to precipitating allergens. Wearing wrap around glasses or goggles during outdoor activities can help to keep pollen and other irritants out of the eyes. It also helps to reduce exposure to Home based allergens for example by using an air conditioner especially in the bedroom. Children sometimes improve if they spend the summer in a Cool climate but for those who Are severely afflicted with Eye threatening allergies the ophthalmologist May recommend moving permanently to a Cool moist climate. In summer Sun and water Are the primary sources of irritating injuries to the eyes. The Eye is even More sensitive to ultraviolet Light than the skin and sunburn of the eyes is More than just temporarily uncomfortable Over the years it May cause permanent visual damage. The pain of Quot Sun blindness Quot typically appears the next morning and can be excruciating. The Only treatment is rest with the eyes closed the Best Protection is to Wear sunglasses that Block ultraviolet Light. K k k the stars and stripes tuesday. July 24,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 15